1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bolt operated rifles and particularly to short bolt operated rifles.
2. Description of Related Art
For years, the Mauser operated rifle has been the standard firing mechanism for civilian hunting weapons. This rifle has an action that is simple to operate and reliable to use. Despite these advantages, it has some drawbacks. First, the action uses a long bolt. The length of the bolt forces the barrel to be shorter than it could be. This is due to weight and overall length of the rifles. The second drawback is the operation of the bolt. In this action, the bolt has a small handle. The handle must be rotated between 60 and 90 degrees, then pulled back the full length of the bolt to load a shell in the chamber. Then the bolt must be pushed all the way back into the firing position. Finally, the bolt handle must be rotated back between 60 and 90 degrees to lock the bolt in place for firing. These movements were designed to prevent gun jamming. Because the Mauser was designed as a military weapon, troops under fire often caused gun jamming by moving the action too quickly. The Mauser design prevented this by making the user slow down the action. Since then, military weapons have become fully automatic, and the need for the Mauser action has disappeared. The action has survived in civilian rifles, however.
Since the invention of the Mauser action, other efforts have been made to improve the speed and efficiency of this action. Some examples are found in U.S. Patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,456 teaches an improved breech bolt mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,749 teaches a straight pull bolt action rifle that uses a pivoting handle and a cross pin to release the bolt, unlike actions that turn the bolt to release it. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,988 teaches a bolt locking system that uses lugs and grooves to lock the bolt in place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,963 teaches a double barrel bolt design. U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,369 teaches a system whereby the bolt diameter is reduced when used in a short throw action. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,677 teaches a non-rotating bolt. Despite the differences between them, all these patents have one thing in common-a full-length bolt. Full-length bolts have been used since the first bolt action rifle was invented.